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I am relatively new to competitions and often try very hard to 'hit' the Brewfather predicted OG & FG. Makes me very happy when a beer turns out pretty close or exactly as predicted. And, brewers often mention that predictability and consistency are cornerstones to great brewing. I was lucky...

I have a pouch of this yeast and not sure what to use it in. I would really appreciate any thoughts or comments by anyone who has used this. I usually brew with competition in mind, so I am completely unsure what style this might be most viable in (or not). Thank you in advance! WL link here...

I've been brewing for many years. While my early results were okay, I've grown with homebrewing to the point where my beer results are earning medals. However, my early attempts, many years ago, with plastic buckets and such to make wine has been less than stellar. My wife is the wine drinker...

Seeking advice from competitive homebrewers. I am into my second year of entering in competitions, and timing some styles for when they will be judged is clearer to me. An IPA seems (to me) like it hits the 'best' timing wise about 3-6 weeks after kegging. I think most Imperial Stouts would be...

A question for you mashing experts out there...why does efficiency drop so drastically when mashing a high gravity beer, but a similar amount of malt & water for a 'double size' batch results in normal efficiency...why? Brewed an Imperial Stout on my Brewzilla 65L Gen 4 yesterday, using a full...

Question: Is there a real, Quality difference between sparging and no sparging? Are plenty of no-sparge examples winning at competitions? Or, is this purely an efficiency and/or brewing tradition issue? Been brewing eBIAB and now AIO for about three years, after decades of three vessel cooler...

Just pre-ordered a Gen4 65L from my LBS and excited to upgrade from my 3.1.1 65L Brewzilla. Many of the tips and tricks from (what I will call) the Gen3 HBT discussion thread were very helpful when I had just transitioned to the Brewzilla process. So, I thought a dedicated Gen4 thread for those...

I have been brewing with a Brewzilla 65L for about 1.5 years and used to getting ~75% mash efficiency. I use a three roller mill, double crush, but mill at a relatively coarse setting to keep lautering from being a pain. I bought Cali Glucabuster, mostly because I was curious to try it and I...

I have noticed that after a 2+ day diacetyl rest @ 70F with a pressurized fermenter (Spike CF), that for a week+ after a stable FG is reached, the interior pressure will 'creep' upwards for almost a week or more longer with no change in terminal gravity. In the fermentation profile below, this...

I've got a Blichmann Hop Rocket that loves only whole cone hops, which also works really nicely to filter the wort before going in the fermentor. But, I cannot find many varieties of whole cone hops beyond the popular (Citra, Mosaic, etc) ones. Seems like Out Of Stock is a common status despite...

I brew with a Brewzilla 65L, using the internal pump for everything. I run a camlock fittings and silicone tubing to my CF chiller after the boil has ended, and then a return line to the Brewzilla or the fermenter. I can insert my Hoprocket before the chiller, but it's either there from boil-out...

I am looking at brewing this recipe soon and considering a few changes/problems in brewing it. First, not sure about the K-97 yeast. I've never used it before and wondering if some of the more recent Hazy IPA yeasts (like Cosmic Punch) might be a better match. Second, I've never added sucrose...

I just bought a Foeder Smith 0.5BBL unit and anxious to first put a Brett Saison in it with the intent to create a Solera project. Question for you all is: what Brett strain(s) to use for a Saison solera? The plan is to pull off 5 gallons every so often, replace with freshly sachs fermented...

I am relatively new into kegging and needed to share a full 5 gallon corny keg at a local club party. There's a lot of ways to do this, and some are easier than others. I considered a jockey box and/or using smaller kegs (2.5 gal) that might fit in a fridge, but ultimately decided on the basic...

I never heard or considered a Solera beer project until watching David Heath's recent video on the FoederSmith 0.5BBL foeder. From what I can find online, the possibilities are really interesting. I have always wanted to brew a 'true' lambic or Flanders Red, but held back due to the durations...

Doing my first lager, a Doe Equis clone with Saflager 34/70 yeast. Started fermentation (OG 1.050) at 55F and after four days let it free rise to 68F where it stayed for 2 days and the FG was achieved at 1.009. I then dropped it no more than a couple degrees at a time, no more than 5 degrees in...

I recently bought some Amoretti Key Lime craft puree with the intent to make a Key Lime beer. My wife is a dedicated wine drinker, but I am trying hard to make a beer she may love. Key Lime pie is her favorite dessert. I've done some researching, and while this idea is not new, there's not a...

I've got two Philly Sour batches done, and it's actually an amazing yeast for making quick, soured, clean beer. Both batches were household hits and the kegs drained quickly. The souring is very effective--my last batch got down to 3.13 pH. However, it is not as 'complex' a souring as a Lambic...

In searching through homebrewtalk.com I haven’t really found any dedicated threads on this equipment, like some others. And, I am very interested in the B40. So, I thought I would start one! If you are a user, please post your experience and tips. Let’s get a discussion going on Brewtools...

I've got a conical, which sure makes capturing yeast easy. For a few batches, I dropped the yeast into a mason jar, capped it and put it in the fridge. After a month or so, I noticed that every single one had a bulged lid and would not even open to release pressure. Worried about glass shrapnel...